Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs H from Leicester

"Great location on the bank of the Zambezi, suitable distance and convenient for town which we are pleased we didn’t stay in. Walk along the Falls ( 2 hours stroll) did not need a guide.

Hotel room superb, food and service very good but didn’t appreciate the hard sell on checking in to have the barbq on the lawn. The a la carte was a much better option.

The swimming pool was a big disappointment, not even tempted to venture in.

Helicopter ride over the Falls (piloted by young man from Cambridge) was well worth the $175 each.

We didn’t go on any safaris as we hoped to see plenty later in our trip but did see a family of warthogs strolling around the hotel grounds which was a treat!

Careful what you eat at the dire food outlet at the airport, my only instance of food poisoning in the month!"

"Easy to find and comfortable so perfect for dinner, b and b before starting holiday proper in the morning."

"The road south from Windhoek is perfect and our stop off at Hardap Dam was a memorable, unplanned stop including a swim in the huge pool there.

The Anib was a fantastic place to start the holiday proper. The water hole was busy most of the time plus we had to give way to an ostrich on the approach track - the only one we’d see for a week!

Food and bar/restaurant areas were great; we resisted the Sundowner bone-shaker tour at £40 pp as we prefer to eat early and the tour lasts ‘til 7.45pm - nearly an hour after sunset."

"The cabins are beautifully located amongst the rocks and the pool in a truly amazing position. Food was excellent again and drinks - as throughout our trip - very reasonably priced and great quality.

We did the self-drive tour, nearly 4 hours of mostly easy track although we took one wrong fork early on which led us on a hairy, non-return detour for half an hour! The signage could have been clearer. We saw loads of wildlife though so the sense of adventure was real."

"We loved the story of the development of this lodge, the owners have worked long and hard to achieve a really comfortable place. The Wall was a unique chalet built into rocks and was fabulous.

Would have loved to use the pool but too cold, hope next time they’ve managed to use solar to heat it slightly?

We used our stay, like most others, to visit Luderitz and Kolmanskop which were fascinating but ensure you go to Kol on the way as it’s closed in the afternoons.

The road is perfect so it’s an easy trip.

Saw lots of wild horses, ostrich and oryx on the way to/from Luderitz but just a couple of ostrich near the lodge."

"It was hard to imagine the logistics of building a place like this as well as the day to day running of it. We were blown away by the remoteness of it and yet the lodges were superb and the restaurant with “loo with a view” was above and beyond expectations.

We were one of only two couples there (a brief respite the staff assured me) so it felt like a private resort; the staff were great. I asked one what he did after working hours (6 weeks on/2 weeks off) and his reply was Netflix and when home in Windhoek he would be clubbing/socialising; I don’t know what I expected him to say…."

"Thomas and his wife have created something really special here; the reception building is amazing and the individual lodges (only 11) exceptional.

Both evening meals and breakfasts were excellent and the tour to Sossusvlei was un-missable. We were a bit hung-ho about tackling Big Daddy dune and abandoned the climb after the first slope - probably not suitable for two, quite fit, 70 year olds. The picnic lunch was unbelievable!

Bear in mind if you’re doing the balloon experience this involves leaving the lodge and driving south at 4am to get in the air for sunrise

Apart from loads of zebras seen en route we also saw many bat-eared foxes and ostriches"

"Swakopmund is small enough to walk everywhere and it’s clean and feels safe.

After two weeks of mainly desert it was nice to walk along the seafront. We tried to get a meal at The Tug but it was heavily booked however we were pleased to find other establishments which were less of a tourist trap - and better value according to other guests who did eat there. The two restaurants we really enjoyed were the Hansa Hotel and Gabrielle’s.

The guest house was well managed and the breakfast all you could ask for so as a base it was perfect.

The craft market/traders outside the Strand Hotel had a huge range of stuff if you have space in your baggage."

"This really was little slice of paradise. Our itinerary said it was luxury lodge and it certainly was. We had the Suite which, with its own private heated plunge pool, free drinks in well stocked fridge, Sky Tv (watched some cricket) and views to die for, was a real highlight of our trip.

The design and layout of the camp set among the rocks is ingenious but the restaurant service was poor due to inadequately trained and/or managed staff. The standard of food however was very good as we have experienced throughout our stay thus far.

Burnt Mountain and Organ Pipes are a short drive (15 mins) from the lodge but not really worth the modest “entry” fee unless geology is your thing. The rock paintings at Twyfelfontein were very interesting which you pass on the to or from Burnt Mountain but it becomes very busy so first thing or last thing would be best time to visit."

"We arrived at lunchtime and were surprised to receive complimentary lunch whilst overlooking the busy waterhole, kudu, zebra, giraffe and others! Game drive around 4pm was a bumpy experience but well worth it when we found a pride of five lions. The bar b q dinner was disappointing but we enjoyed the wine and our first Black Rhino!

Apart from listed sightings we saw many baboons, kudu, springbok, bush buck and black faced impala. The elephants we saw at the Anderson Camp water hole nearer the entrance gate. This camp seemed to offer more facilities and the Visitor Centre there was very interesting"

"This camp, whilst hugely popular due to its waterhole and being the starting point for exploring Etosha, was like a run down youth hostel.

The staff were sullen and lacked motivation, not surprising as no doubt most if not all guests were spending just one night there. The water hole is a fantastic draw and we were treated to elephants and many other animals during the day and into the evening but we didn’t last beyond 10 pm"

"After the poorly maintained road through Etosha it was a delight to be on tarmac for the short drive to Mushara. The drive through Etosha whilst very uncomfortable for much of the journey was very productive in terms of game viewing including a chance encounter with a family of four cheetah, half a dozen - distant - rhino and many giraffe.

The camp reception/ restaurant is a lovely relaxing building and the rooms delightful. We stayed in from check in to check out making good use of the pool.

The bar b q was fantastic as was the restaurant dinner on the second night."

"We arrived to be told we were not at the Bush Camp but had been upgraded to one of the four Villas only one other of which was occupied. Difficult to describe somewhere so perfect and private with unique close up view of waterhole.

Needless to say the food and service were second to none and we saw a few animals for the first time - warthogs, porcupines and dikdik."

"Obviously a popular starting/ending stopover. Good to meet others and learn of plans or experiences."

"We loved everything about this hotel except we didn’t find the restaurant very comfortable, it felt rather corporate. The restaurants round the corner, five minutes walk, were however excellent and remarkably good value.

The pool was superb and we were the only ones to use it!"